Weight of the World
by Nora Mutao Frost
Summary: Kino AU: Now that they've been joined by their Uncle Ryan. Kino and the rest of his family must find a way to make peace with these new foes and hopefully find a way to coexist with all the other realm refuges.
1. Chapter 8

**_Authors Notes: Please be aware their are three books before this one. Please read Zareth AU before reading this one. Chapters will come as soon as we can. Since this fic series is done by several different people it'll take longer then normal. Thanks for your patience. _**

**_Zareth, Malt, Glass, Colby, and Duck belong to Grumpy-Zane_**

**_Ryan, Sorcha, and Deity belong to Ask-The-Blind-Archer_**

**_Cricket belongs to lesbian-wooloo_**

**_Luna belongs to ElizabethJullien_**

**_Everyone else belongs to me_**

**_Please read and review!_**

* * *

**_Book 4_**

**_Part 2_**

**_Weight of the World_**

**_Chapter 8_**

**_Secrets Told_**

She had come to this world like every other refuge, through a rift as the realm she was on crumbled down around her. That had been her home, all she had ever known. Her father and Uncles had crumbled with the realm. Although when she got there...she wasn't in the best of conditions. Dark matter flowed through her.

If it weren't for Danika and her ability to help her get rid of the dark matter with a chemical she and Borg had designed to free her of the horrible stuff, then she probably would have killed someone, or may have possibly died too.

Zane from the current realm was in mourning. His son had been killed, and his wife Pixal was slowly beginning to die.

She wasn't meant to live as long as an elemental master.

So he was left alone.

Zane soon saw that Luna needed him, and he needed her.

They began to cling to one another for support, friendship, and later on-they became family.

Luna began to call Zane her father. It was what she needed and she was grateful for him.

Now that Zane was gone, she stood there with his power source within herself. She took on his mission to protect those who couldn't protect themselves.

"Luna! Hard to starboard!" Kyo yelled at the top of her lungs so Luna could hear.

Rain poured harshly on the survivors of a raiding party that called themselves Lunarians.

From the three hundred plus people of a small farming village that grew apples, and peaches, there were only one hundred and thirty four people left.

Max stood in the center of the people as the Destiny's Revenge flew right.

The rain was pushed off the scared people. A few babies began to cry as the lightning crackled across the sky.

Aoi held her hand up into the air acting as a lightning rod. The lightning hit her and was thrown out the other hand as it stretched out toward the other side of the ship. She stood there and gave them the thumbs up before slumping back down into a sitting position against the mast. "I'm getting too old for this!"Aoi cried out in exasperation, leaning her head back against the wood.

"You're only 17 Aoi, you've barely begun!" Max called out to his sister, starting to laugh.

"Be quiet…" She said, stretching and trying to get comfortable against the mast of the ship.

Max laughed harder, watching his sister.

"Almost there!" Luna called out as she sighed, looking down at the many people below.

Each one seemed to be lost.

They all must have lost someone they knew.

So many children without parents.

Luna felt tears prick at the corners of her eyes, a painful lump building in her throat.

"Hey…"

Luna jumped, turning to look at someone who looked a lot like she did.

The familiar looking droid had bronze plating, her hair was back in a braid, and she was accompanied by a female oni.

The oni held an infant in her rather large hands. The baby seemed to disappear as she held her close.

"Digital? Sorry it was getting to me." Luna said, watching them carefully.

"Yes...we know." The oni named Mei said. Mei herself was an outcast of her own family. She was too friendly to be one of them, but now she had a daughter, named Willow who lay in Mei's hands.

Willow was sound asleep and every bit as beautiful as her mothers.

Luna promised to protect them all.

(0)

Hope's head ached horribly.

Kino watched as she walked around Sorcha's yard, trying to get some fresh air. He often found himself acting a bit overprotective of her. It was probably Zareth's influence on her, or maybe it had something to do with the way he felt himself. This girl showed up in his life and one of his incarnations was her father. Doesn't that make her, his too? Kino sighed and ran his hand over his face. Turning to look up at Ryan, he raised an eyebrow.

Ryan sat on Sorcha's front porch, eating extra spicy ramen. The amount of spice didn't seem to bother him at all.

Kino could smell the peppers from where he stood and it burned his nose. "How can you eat that?" He asked, confused as to how a human being could stand such spice.

Ryan slurped down the bite of noodles he had been chewing, shrugging and wiping his mouth on the back of his sleeve. "I've always been able to. Why do you ask?"

Kino chuckled as he sat down next to Ryan. "Just don't want your mouth falling off and running away." He glanced at his own rather plain flavored cup of ramen on the step next to him. "Hope is remarkable. I watch her walk around the yard, one foot in front of the other and I can just feel Zareth a few steps behind her. I can't explain how." Kino sighed as he looked up at Ryan again. "I still wish I could tell Gran that her daughter is kind, caring, loving and just...wonderful. I don't normally say those things, y'know. I suppose it's Zareth saying those things through me or maybe…just maybe it's me."

"Nah, spice never bothered me." Ryan shook his head. "I'm not sure if it's you or Zareth, but I know you both care about her. I'm sure Danny knows how she is." He frowned and rubbed his chin. "Though I'm not sure if she's really dead. It's possible, but the few times we thought she was dead, she came back somehow."

Kino shook his head. He knew the stories. About how Danny would show up when someone least expected it. He sighed and rubbed his knees absentmindedly, trying to get his mind off of the truth he knew.

Not this time.

Danny wouldn't be back this time.

"Danny had replacement bodies back at the cave. It's where I found Hope. There weren't any more bodies. It looked like the last one had been torn apart." Kino said as he looked over at Hope, who walked over to them and sat down.

"Hey, you hungry?" Kino held out his bowl, offering it to Hope.

Hope took it from him and started to eat using her fingers.

"Uh...you should use your fork-" Kino sighed. "Nevermind. As long as you're eating, I guess."

Ryan huffed and looked down at Hope. He took her hands out of the bowl and cleaned them off. "Listen, you can't go through life eating with your hands all the time." He cleaned off Kino's fork and put it in Hope's hand, showing her how to grip it. "Just twirl the noodles around it like this-" Ryan helped her get the noodles on the fork, then held it up to her mouth. "Like that, okay?"

Kino sighed as he watched Ryan help Hope. "You have a lot more experience with kids than I do. The only one of our incarnations that actually was a parent was Glass's counterparts, and Colby. He never really met them though." He said as he watched Hope trying to mimic what Ryan was teaching her.

"I don't mind teaching her." Ryan shrugged and watched Hope, making sure she did it right-or at least did her best. "Zareth was as much a parent to Otto as he could be. Wasn't his kid, but being a parent or family to someone isn't always blood related business."

"Yeah, but Gran died when dad was seven. Dad already knew the important stuff. Like potty training, eating, putting on your own clothes. Stuff like that. But…" He looked up at his Uncle. "...taking care of someone whose parents have died is a big job...one I'll have to learn."

"I can help if you want." Ryan looked up from his noodles and then to Kino. "How old is Ryder?"

Ryder walked out of the house just then with a cup of spicy noodles in his hands.

"Apparently old enough to have spicy noodles. Oh you should see him with potstickers. He eats like a grown man." Kino said with a chuckle.

[My boy will be five summers old.] Malt said as she licked her paws. She had some of the spicy powder on them. Malt cringed as she tasted it. [And I prefer sweets!] She sneezed, shaking her head as though trying to rid her mouth of the taste.

Ryan watched Malt cringe and dug in his pocket, pulling out the last sweet he had. "Maybe this will taste better than the spicy powder, hm? You don't seem to like it."

Malt got up on her hind legs like a dog would as though it were begging for scraps. Some of her drool hit the porch.

"Uh oh...might want to get some water unless you want to be fused to the porch." Ryder said.

Kino sighed and walked inside to ask Sorcha for some water.

Sorcha lifted her head from making tea to see Kino coming into the house. "Is everything alright?"

Kino pointed toward Malt, who was still continually drooling as she begged for the sweet. "Malt is drooling. She's a melding dragon so the drool's going to be adhesive. "

"Hm…" Sorcha had to think about it for a moment. "Would you need hot or cold water?"

Kino opened his mouth, pausing as he thought about it. "Hot water might actually be easier to clean it with." He jumped when Ryder laughed at the tiny squeaking noises Malt was making.

"Awww she's so cute…" Kino slapped himself as the thought of one of his past selves slipped out of his mouth. "Guh...Duck...stop that!" He growled.

"Malt is cute." Sorcha shrugged and filled a cup with hot water, carefully taking it outside. "Nothin' wrong with that."

Kino gritted his teeth as he rubbed his head. "It's the distance. Duck is the first in the line of incarnations. It's a little harder and a lot more painful when she takes control."

"Understandable." Sorcha said as she stood over Malt and watched her. "Hold still, please."

Malt gasped and hissed at the water as she bounded down the steps.

Ryder jumped out of the way of the slobber, and watched as she turned around going down on her front.

Malt wagged her tail, showing that she wanted to play with Sorcha.

Setting the water aside and kneeling down, Sorcha gently rubbed Malt's head. "Oh, you want to play?"

Malt ran in a circle around Sorcha and wagged her tail some more.

"Well she has been cooped up for a few days now. There's a yard, and someone to play with. Right now Ryder is still kinda hurt, so he can't do anything to stress his hip out till the skin heals." Kino said as he watched Malt run around.

"Or, you could play with her Kino?" Ryder said.

Malt scoffed at Ryder's suggestion and turned away, snout in the air.

"She hates me." Kino frowned and crossed his arms.

Sorcha frowned and picked Malt up, rubbing behind her ears. "Why do you hate Kino?"

Malt purred laying back so Sorcha could rub her chin. [I do not hate him, he doesn't pet me correctly, he's a bit mean too.]

Sorcha gently rubbed Malt's chin. "You really should teach him how to pet you correctly. Some cats will grab people's hands and pull them to the correct spot."

Malt turned and looked at Kino whose eyes were glued to Hope.

Hope was sitting down on a stump, rubbing her head.

Kino stood up and walked over, gently starting to rub her shoulders.

[His attention is on that one right now. She smells like...him.]

"Like Zareth, right? I mean that is his kid so I'd assume she smells like him to you." Sorcha offered Malt another sweet.

Malt's tail swung wildly as she took the sweet between her paws and licked it, gently gnawing on it. [Sweet...Sweet] She sang as she purred loudly.

"I don't get to cook for anyone anymore, so I don't mind making you some sweets." Sorcha gently patted Malt's head.

Ryder shook his head. "Don't give her to many sweets. She'll get a bad stomach ache, and get all clingy, then drool on you." He said as he laid back in the grass.

[That was once.] Malt complained.

"My shoe didn't come off for two weeks!" Ryder huffed and crossed his arms.

"Ah, I don't mind it." Sorcha carefully rubbed under Malt's chin again. "It's nice to be able to cook for someone again."

Ryder looked back and forth between Sorcha and Malt. Tucking his tail between his legs, he ran over and hugged Sorcha. "Thank you." He whispered before going back to his ramen.

Malt looked perplexed. [I think my boy is lonely.]

Sorcha watched Ryder happily eating and smiled. "He likely is. His parents are no longer around, and the only one he really has to play with is you." She shrugged. "Losing family can really mess with you."

Malt nuzzled Sorcha. [And you? I smell lots of old smells here that don't belong to you. You have children...somewhere?] She asked.

Sorcha paused looking down at Malt. "Yes, I do. They're all grown now though. Moved out a long time ago." Sorcha shook her head. "I have three. Gyro, Xira and Roto. They don't visit much anymore..its alright though."

Malt laughed softly. [ They're off having their own lives now. Perhaps someday they'll give you pups of their own.] She said as she climbed down from Sorcha's arms. [I see how you are with my boy. I'm sure your pups are happy.]

"It's up to them if they want kids, really." Sorcha shrugged. "Honestly though? I can keep myself busy. I'm still Glitzer, you know?" She gently tugged Malt's cheek.

Malt looked at her questioningly as she turned to Ryder. [Glitzer? What is a Glitzer?] She asked, tilting her head to the side.

Ryder shrugged his shoulders. "I dunno. Sounds sparkly to me."

Sorcha chuckled a little. "Right, right. You guys live in a different Ninjago." She shook her head. "I just do some vigilante stuff at night. All night until the sun rises."

Ryder put his chopsticks down and ran his sleeve over his face to clean the broth and noodles off. "So you're like Spider-Man? Well...Spider-Woman." He asked, looking at Malt who looked amazed.

[You are full of surprises aren't you?] Malt said as she licked her paws free of the sweet that she had eaten. [Especially with these sweets.]

"Uh...I suppose so, yeah." She rubbed the back of her neck. "I've got a shift in a few hours, but I dunno if ya'll want me to stay here in case you need something." Sorcha looked at Malt. "I don't know about full of surprises, but I do my best. I haven't had visitors in a very long time. This was nice."

Kino looked up at Sorcha. "Its okay, I'm sure that if we need something Uncle Ryan will help us, Aunt Sorcha. You go do your hero thing." He told her and jumped when there was a clap of thunder not to far off. He looked around at Hope who stood up straight and immediately hugged him. His look of surprise lasted but a moment. He could hear Zareth telling him how Danny was afraid of storms and must have instilled that in her too.

"Hey...let's get you inside. That sound normally means its going to rain." He guided her up onto the porch.

"It will not harm anyone will it?" Hope frowned and watched the sky as they went inside.

"Not if you are under cover. Like a house." Kino shook his head as he led her inside.

"Oh. Alright." Sorcha got up from her spot with Malt, setting the dragon down. "You guys can uh...stay in the house for as long as you need." She let out a sigh and went into the house, patting Ryder on the head before heading into the basement.

Ryan picked Ryder up, setting him on the couch. "Storm shouldn't last too long, if it does come by anyways."

Kino shook his head. "It will storm, it'll last about ten minutes before moving on. No biggy." He said jumping when he fell apart.

Kira lay on the floor panting as Omino sat up rubbing his head. "Okay that hurt. What gives?" He looked down at his sister who was rubbing circles around her temples.

"My head is killing me." Kira said as she tried to ease the headache she currently had.

[Stress separation. It can hurt.] Malt said.

"Are you two alright?" Ryan frowned, leaning down to help Kira up. "Why did you two pop apart?"

Kira rubbed her head again, then reached into her pocket to pull out her medication.

"Kira is...different from myself and Ryder." Omino tried to make it seem less like an intrusion of her privacy while he explained.

"I'm more human than they are. So I'm prone to more, well…everything." She said as she held up her medication. "I end up in the hospital at least once a month because of it. Uncle Cryptor always shows up just to put his hand on my head and tell me to go." Kira stuffed the bottle back into her pocket after taking a pill. "I hate it."

"Dang. I'm sorry you hate it. I-" Ryan flinched when the basement door opened and Sorcha came out in her Glitzer mech suit, helmet locked on and ready to go.

"You uh...you going to work early, sis?" Ryan frowned.

Sorcha nodded as she turned to look at Ryder. She silently waved.

Ryder's jaw hit the floor and he ran over, slowly running his fingers over the suit. "Can I come? I can be your sidekick! I know Spinjitzu!" He yelled.

"You do not!" Omino chuckled as he rubbed Ryder's head.

"Yes huh!" Ryder complained.

Sorcha shook her head. Her voice modulator was already on so her voice was unrecognizable. "No, I'm sure they'd want you to stay home. Besides, if you need anything I'm sure Ryan can take care of it, right?" She turned to look at Kira and Omino who had popped apart. "Ryan can take care of everything." Sorcha hugged the two of them, turning back to Ryder. "Hey, here...if it'll make you feel better-" She went over to a small box on the desk and dug around in it. She pulled out a badge she often gave kids at the orphanage, going over and pinning it onto Ryder's shirt.

Omino watched Sorcha as she went to leave. "Aunt Sorcha?" He was normally the quiet one, so him speaking up was rare. "Kino's kind of a jerk, but he knows how important your work is, and he doesn't think he's worth sticking around for." He said to her. "You save lives. People need you, while we're here safe. Go...Go save them. They need you."

Sorcha paused metal fingers gripping the door frame. "Yeah...thanks. I appreciate it. I'll probably be gone until seven in the morning, though." Turning back to Ryan, she pointed to the closet behind him.

"Weapons are behind the coats." She closed the door as she left and began speeding toward the city with the rollerblades built into her suit.

Omino looked deep in thought as he turned toward Ryan. "I said something stupid...didn't I?" He asked, frowning and rubbing his arm.

Ryan shook his head. "Nah...it's partially my fault. Haven't been in contact with someone in a long time, and she's been here in the mountain alone for even longer." He stood up and locked the front door, turning and gently patting Omino's shoulder in reassurance. "It looks like she's been holding stuff in again, except for that little outburst on me earlier." Ryan cleared his throat. "I kinda deserved that."

"Yeah I'll say. I mean…" Kira thought about it and sighed. "Did your kids know you were alive and did you know about your daughter's kids?"

"Yeah, I know about Jimmy." He frowned "I didn't know about the second kid though. I…"Ryan sighed and looked at Kira. "I'll admit, Inky's death messed me up real bad." He shook his head. "I didn't think it'd get so bad that I hid from humanity for that long."

Kira looked around at him. "Casper, his name is Casper. They kept him hidden along with his brother. He's about 14 years old. He's probably with Uncle Min still, working at the cafe."

"Your uncle Min?" Ryan frowned, raising an eyebrow. "Because that stuff was legal here like...ages ago. Robots, and human stuff is legal here in this universe."

Kira looked up at him and pointed behind her like her realm was right there. "I mean our Uncle Min, and...they hid him...because of what he was. Strange, white ink, with red eyes. He was bullied...a lot."

Ryan frowned. "I wouldn't hide a kid just because they were bullied. Coulda swore I taught Danika to confront bullies."

Omino shook his head. "Confronting bullies is one thing, but when it happens over and over again, no matter what you do…" He sighed. "He ended up in the hospital a few times with broken bits, and you can't…" He looked up at Ryan. "We are hybrids. We aren't all exactly the same on the inside. One wrong move surgically and we stop...just like a watch."

"I'm not saying that's not true, but I wouldn't hide a child away from society because of that." Ryan shook his head. "If mom had done that to Sorcha…" He rubbed the back of his neck. "Nevermind, do you think we could go see him someday?"

Omino shrugged his shoulders. "Sure. I kinda wanna go see Uncle Cryptor anyway. He's got the keys to the tombs. Imma need them...so we can bury dad."

"Which Cryptor? I ask because the one here has been shut down for at least ten years or so." Ryan shook his head.

Ryder sat down on the couch. "Uncle Cryptor's been staying in Uncle Zane's old place. He stopped working with the police a few years ago. He's been looking out for Luna ever since."

"Oh you mean the one in your realm?" Ryan shrugged. "Do you think it's safe to go back there?"

Kira shook her head. "Doesn't matter. These things are relentless and it's obvious that they're aliens. They live out there." She pointed up. "They probably came here to steal our brains." Kira giggled as Ryder hid under the table.

"Okay I'm joking Ryder. They don't want your brain." She joked. "You don't have one."

"Oh he does so." Ryan knelt down and peered under the table, hugging Ryder. He turned to look at Kira and stuck his tongue out at her. "If he didn't he couldn't walk or talk. He's got a brain of some kind."

Kira giggled. "Tell that to the jellyfish who swim perfectly fine in the ocean." She laughed as she felt Omino swat her arm. "Okay, all jokes aside we should be fine. Its not like they have a beacon or something right?" She asked.

"I don't think they do, no." Ryan shook his head. "Do you think we should go now or after the storm?"

"After, please." A soft voice said from under the blankets. All you could see were Hope's glowing blue eyes.

"Oh yeah...she's afraid of storms." Ryder said.


	2. Chapter 9

**_Authors Notes: that look a lot longer then I wanted, but then again its long..._**

**_Please Read and review..._**

**_Disclaimers on characters are in Chapter 8._**

* * *

**_Weight of the World_**

**_Chapter 9_**

**_A Quick Run_**

Sorcha shut the door at the top of the stairs, glancing in the kitchen briefly through her Glitzer visor to consider the option of eating before going out, but shook her head. She was still too angry to eat.

Ryder had been woken up by the sound of yelling. He knew his brother and sister who were curled up together as usual wouldn't hear.

They had to be hit with water to wake up.

In his child-like mind, Sorcha was angry at them for being there. Angry that they appreciated Ryan for helping them, and that he was the one who was sticking around,too.

They didn't have their parents anymore.

So what, because of that Sorcha would hate them?

His eyes began to water. Maybe Sorcha wouldn't be so mad at Ryan if they weren't there to mess things up. He felt bad. Getting up off of the couch, he opened the front door and ran out into the nearby woods.

Sorcha watched Ryder bolt out the front door and stopped. Nudging Omino, Kira, Malt, and Hope with her feet, she quickly mentioned that Ryder ran outside. She soon ran outside after him, glancing around. "Ryder?!" Sorcha kicked the rollerblades in the feet of her suit into gear, speeding out into the trees.

Ryder heard someone faintly calling for him, but was unable to answer as he fell down an incline. Cartwheeling to a stop on the other side, he slowly blinked as he stared up at a dark figure standing over him. The figure looked familiar to his unfocused eyes. "M...Mei?" He was so dizzy he wasn't able to tell it wasn't his oni friend, Mei.

The Lunarian that had found him slowly began to grin at him as he picked Ryder up and ran.

Sorcha watched the creature as she came into the clearing, scanning it.

Nothing came up in her suit's database.

She began to run after it, glaring and trying to speed up as much as she could. "Let him go!"

"Aunt Sorcha!" Ryder cried out as he tried to hold out his hands for her, but of course they were much too short. He cried out once more, this time as loud as he could muster.

Hope jumped when she heard the cry.

"Stay here." Kino said curtly. He once again ran off, leaving her behind on the porch.

This wasn't right.

Hope knew something was wrong. Walking out into the yard, she looked around, trying to think. "What do I do? Oh. Yes. ...Weapons." Walking back into Sorcha's house, she went to the closet that Sorcha had mentioned previously. Her eyes turned bronze as she scanned over the weapons, attempting to choose one. "Accessing and acquiring weapons."

Ryan came up the stairs to see Hope holding a shotgun. "Woah woah...what's going on? Why do we need weapons?"

Sorcha could use the blasters in her suit, but that might not work.

This creature was clearly alien.

"Disengage." Pieces of her suit began to break away and reform elsewhere, as Sorcha began to shift. A snarl freed from her throat as she shifted. "Let go of my nephew!"

It was soon nothing but mumbling, because of the full shift.

Running on all fours now, she lunged at the creature and slammed her shoulder into him. Sorcha knew she'd be sick from this later, but this seemed to be the only way to fight the creature.

Both the creature and Ryder went rolling from the force of Sorcha's strike.

Ryder's head was spinning as he finally stopped to look up at the trees above, and the cloudy sky beyond. He turned to look at Sorcha and the Lunarian. "I..." He closed his eyes for a moment, soon feeling hands around him. He once again felt that he was being carried off.

But by who?

"Don't worry kid...I gotcha."

Ryder opened his eyes to look up at Kino.

That wasn't Kino.

Those eyes said so.

Sorcha slammed into the Lunarian again, pinning it to the ground. She quickly glanced at Kino carrying Ryder off, and let out a loud huff-just to signal that she would handle this one. Turning back to the creature, Sorcha dug her claws into its shoulders.

Kino turned back to look at Sorcha. "Wow...that's our Aunt..." He felt Ryder half crying and half panting.

"She hates us...she...she hates..."

Kino went down hard when another Lunarian snuck up behind him and swiftly clawed his back.

Ryder once again began to roll down the hill.

"Malt!" Kino yelled, trying to get up.

Malt jumped over the log blocking her path in one bound and latched onto the aliens back, clawing at them.

Kino managed to get on his feet, running after Ryder who was still running down the hill. He stumbled, pain shooting through his back from the previous attack as he fell to the ground once more.

Sorcha ran after the other Lunarians and picked Kino up on the way, putting him on her shoulder. Slamming into the next one and catching Ryder, she held him to her chest and snarled at the other creature.

"Sorcha, left side!" Ryan called, running toward them with Hope behind him. Firing an arrow, he watched Sorcha dodge and the arrow land in the Lunarian's arm, spreading poison in it.

"Into the portal!" Hope called out as her wings changed color.

Kino gasped, clutching his head and curling up on Sorcha's shoulder. He could hear everyone in his head cry out at one time.

Apparently going blindly into a portal the first time was bad.

But there was Hope...their Hope.

"We don't have a choice, let's go!" Ryan yelled, being the first to jump through the portal.

Sorcha looked down at Ryder. Should she go with them? Did they need her? She rubbed his head with one finger and gently set him down with Kino.

Ryder's bottom lip was quivering. He didn't let go of her finger. He shook his head and pointed to the portal.

Kino looked up at Sorcha. "He's pulling a gramps on us. The noble crappy brown ninja." He was egging Ryder on, on purpose to see if he'd take the bait. "Come on, Aunt Sorcha."

Sorcha looked to her suit sitting on standby in the distance, then to Kino. She held up her fingers, counting out different numbers.

3-4-6.

Handing Kino a small remote from her torn up pants, she nodded toward the suit.

It was an autopilot code, so they could take it with them.

Kino realized that she couldn't push the buttons on her own so he pushed them. "My my, Aunt Sorcha. What big hands you have." He winked at her as he pushed the buttons.

Sorcha rolled her eyes and huffed, picking Ryder up again and letting him ride on her shoulder. Heading through the portal, she shivered.

That always felt strange.

Sorcha wouldn't be able to shift back for a while, so she held onto Ryder for now.

Kino watched Hope go through last and close the portal. "So, I guess we go to Uncle Min's place." He said limping, through the area.

It would seem they had landed in the middle of a construction site.

"Yo, Uncle Ryan. That's the printing press Aunt Inky worked at as a girl."

The building was falling apart and bushes and grass was creeping out of the cracks.

Ryan glared at it. "Good. Place can burn to the ground for all I care."

Sorcha picked Kino up and put him on her other shoulder, listening to her suit trail behind them.

Ryan sighed. "So where is Min's place anyway? You think someone got the people from the fire out?"

Kino nodded. "Uncle Min's place is two blocks that way." He pointed to his left. "Kira's been working weekends there while she's at school. That way she's monitored." He looked around at Ryder.

Ryder's lip was still quivering.

"Hey kid. You okay?" He asked, frowning a little.

Malt looked up at Ryder. [Yes, I wish to know the same. Are you harmed?]

"She hates us."

Sorcha frowned, stopping and looking down at Ryder. She pointed to herself.

Ryder nodded his head, carefully climbing down off her shoulder and sliding down her arm.

Not an easy feat when Sorcha was currently eleven feet tall because of the shift.

"You were yelling at Uncle Ryan and you said all those bad things about him. Why didn't you just tell us to go away if we were bothering you?" he wiped his eyes, starting to cry. "I thought..." he rubbed his eyes. "I thought you hated us." He turned around, walking back down the road again.

Sorcha scooped Ryder back up and held him tight, refusing to let go. "Mmmph." She huffed, stopping in front of Min's place when they arrived.

Oh.

She wouldn't fit in the doorway here. Shutting her eyes tightly and forcibly shifting back, Sorcha gagged and held her head in one hand, and Ryder in her arm. "I don't...hate you guys-" She quickly put Ryder down and ran to the rose bushes outside Min's front door, immediately throwing up in them. She always got sick after forcibly shifting back or shifting at all-she was only half oni after all-the other half was human.

Though this was an extreme case, she'd only been shifted for a short time and soon forcibly shifted back.

Cryptor looked up when Kino walked in. "Separate." He told him almost immediately as he was wiping the counters down.

"Can't..." Kino said as he turned around.

"Kino!" Min's voice rang out as he came in from the back room, hands soaked with soapy water. "What happened?"

"I donno...they found us, I guess."

Sorcha slowly walked into the cafe and sat down on a stool, slumping down on the wet counter Cryptor had just washed. She was sick, trying to regulate her body after shifting. She didn't have dark matter in her body, just Oni DNA-it was part of who she was.

"Sis-" Ryan started.

"Shut up." Sorcha groaned, covering her head with her arms.

Ryder looked over at her.

If transforming was so painful...why did she do it if she hated them?

Even if she just said she didn't...maybe she had spoken too hastily in the argument?

A young boy was mopping a back room. He put his mop down, and went over to Ryder, putting his arms around him. "What's wrong Ryder? They won't let you be the brown ninja yet?" A very soft voice asked. He walked Ryder into the couch room and sat him down. His eyes however were locked onto a tall man near the doors. Through with the beard he couldn't be sure if the man was who he thought he was. Perhaps it would be best if he just stayed there?

"Ryder-" Sorcha tiredly lifted her head. "I don't hate you guys. I was yelling at Ryan because he abandoned me and our parents when I was seven. Zareth is...in Kino's processor. He knows what I'm talking about. I never said I hated you guys when I was arguing. I told Ryan to get out because I was tired of being brushed aside when I offer help because people always go to him instead." She wheezed and turned to look at Ryder. "It's been that way my whole life."

Ryan watched the young boy who was currently holding Ryder on the couch. "Min, who is this kid?"

Ryder looked up at her. "But...we didn't go to him." He said bashfully. "We were going to see our cousin Danika. He was there...we didn't look for him. He just...helped. Ryan was the one that suggested you." Ryder said as he looked up at Kino.

"He's right. If Uncle Ryan didn't trust you...why suggest you?"

Min looked at Ryan and smiled. "That is your biological grandson, Casper."

Sorcha sighed. "I got mad when Kino dusted me aside like I was a speck after I offered to stay at the house and help protect all of you last night. Super Ryan could handle it, I guess." She cleared her throat. "Ryder, last night was the boiling point of a decades long wound Ryan left. It's not your fault I got angry. It's Ryan's."

Ryan was momentarily distracted by what Sorcha said, then turned to the boy on the couch. "...My grandson?"

Ryder scoffed. "You could have just stayed. My siblings are idiots. I sure would have loved to go with you on patrol. Go and see just what it is that heroes do." He smiled up at her. "I didn't know I had a super hero in my family."

Casper looked up over the tuft of hair that was in his eyes.

"He's shy, and quiet, and honestly you never know he's in the room until he actually moves." Min said to Ryan as he watched Cryptor shove Kino after having bandaged his back.

"Get over here, Saucepan." Cryptor said as he went over to the couch, reaching for Ryder.

Ryder looked up at Cryptor who plucked him up out of Casper's lap and started to look over him, too.

"Maybe at some point you can." Sorcha smiled at him, looking over at Casper. She just waved.

Ryan carefully sat down on the couch. "Hey, Casper-"

Casper was the complete opposite to what Inky and Danika were.

Shy and quiet.

While the others were outgoing and unafraid.

"Hi..." He wasn't sure what to call Ryan.

Ryan smiled at him. "Hey, I'm your grandpa. Your mom never told me about you." He rubbed the back of his neck. "I'm sorry I haven't been around-"

Casper shook his head. "Story of my life." He stood back up, continuing to mop the floor. "Mom and mama were always working at Borg tower helping with something. It was mostly Jimmy that watched me, sometimes I'd come to spend time with Uncle Min and Cryptor." He said, putting the mop in a bucket. "But then again, that's a doctor for you. Always saving lives." He said the last part quietly.

"Hey...can we talk in the back, Casper?" Ryan stood up and placed his hand on the mop. "I need to talk to you about your mom."

Casper shrugged his shoulders, looking at Min who was tying Ryder's shoe.

Min nodded his head, giving approval. "But remember, we open soon." He looked up at Kino. "How do you keep getting into these situations?"

A loud pop echoed. "Ow..." Kira moaned.

Casper looked up at his grandfather as he sat down on a couch.

Ryan sat on the couch in the back room, trying to think of how to say this. "Casper your mom...Danika. She died yesterday."

Casper's eyes locked onto his. He slowly stood up and walked around the room for a moment before going into another room. He walked out with something wrapped in a blanket. "Mom...couldn't do art she said...but once I asked her what her parents were like. She drew you and her mom." He took a deep breath trying his best to compose himself. "I don't share it...mostly because I'm stingy and she doesn't do this much." He sat it down on the table and uncovered it.

It looked like a pen drawing rather then paint like Inky did.

So perhaps the ink between Inky and Danika were different after all.

"It's how I knew who you were. I was just afraid to assume."

Ryan looked over the drawing and chuckled. "Yeah...that's Inky and I. Been a long time since I've seen her face." He sighed, looking over at Casper. "...Did you inherit it?"

Casper looked up at him as white lines began to run down his face. "I can...but its hard for me to..." He sighed. "But I prefer to draw places rather than people. Have to use other colors than white though. I'm...not like them."

"Doesn't matter who you're like." He shook his head. "You're still my grandson." Ryan watched him. "If it's hard to do it, don't hurt yourself doing it."

Casper shook his head. "It doesn't hurt, it's just...difficult to find black canvases." He pointed to the canvas behind him. It was of the river close behind where Sorcha lived. "Mom took me there...sometimes. When I was really young."

"...Did Sorcha know about it?" Ryan frowned, stopping when he heard footsteps.

Sorcha leaned on the door from the back, watching Casper. She looked like she was going to pass out. "No, I didn't. You could have come to visit."

Casper smiled up at her. "Mom didn't tell me till later on." He slowly frowned. "I'm sorry I...would have but I..." He slowly seemed to close himself off at the moment he thought an argument might have started.

"You what?" Sorcha raised an eyebrow. "You can speak, I'm not going to yell."

Casper looked up at Sorcha. "It was after her mom died. She just needed a place to go that was familiar and quiet and...she knew those woods, and she knew someone close by just in case something happened. Cause Mama isn't always around so..."

"Were you dormant for a few years? Inky died thirty one years ago." Sorcha raised an eyebrow.

Casper shook his head and took a deep breath. "You all know...how Grandma and mom can use their ink to...change things?" He asked. "Well my ink is mostly used for going back along those lines of ink to see what they see. I can go as far back as Grandma. I haven't tried to go back any further than that." He said. "If there anymore to my power, I donno."

Sorcha nodded and rubbed her arm. "Did your mom talk about me?"

Casper smiled and nodded. "Yeah...she said you were kind of an older sister to her for three years. Taught her to cook." He was trying his best not to just cry. He didn't want to. He looked up at Cryptor as he entered the room. "And Julien?"

Ryan sighed. "They died within minutes of each other, Casper. I'm sorry."

Casper sighed, hearing Cryptor turn and leave the room. "Those two were really close. Gran, Mom and Cryptor. I've heard stories about them. Lots of them." He sighed sitting back, but he sat right up. "I gotta tell mama."

"Er.." Ryan scratched his cheek. "You can't. Cricket went into a twenty year shut down mode when I told her Danika died."

Casper stood up and looked around, feeling panic rise in his chest. "What...What now? Where do I..." He looked around, seeing Kino come into the room.

"Yeah, welcome to the club bub. Our dad died that night, too."

"Uncle Otto?! Are you sure he's dead?" He asked, disbelief clearly present in his voice.

"Yeah." Ryan said, pausing when he heard a thud in the front of the restaurant. Turning around and peering into the front, he saw Sorcha collapsed on the floor.

Cryptor looked around the counter. "I think she's dead." He smiled.

"Oh she isn't dead." Mindroid growled, swatting at Cryptor with a towel for saying such a thing.

Malt sniffed her. [She's exhausted not tired, you oaf.]

"Aren't you supposed to hate Oni?"

[She is kin.] Malt yawned and curled up beside Sorcha.

Ryan sighed, coming out of the back room. "She's been overworking herself to avoid her house. Malt, can you keep an eye on her?" He rubbed his face. "I'm trying to figure out where we go from here."

Casper sighed, looking up at them. "There's...another place...not far from here." He said as he motioned to a weird looking van outside. His eyes seemed to swarm with purple as he looked along the lines. "Its an old beach retreat where Midnight and her kids stay."

"Midnight?" Ryan picked up Sorcha in his arms. "Isn't that Danny's sister?"

Casper nodded. "She's retired and she should be out there. If you need to know something about anything, ask her. She knows a lot more than great grandma did. Kinda like a secret keeper." He visibly flinched as he remembered something. "Jax and Jess should be out there too. Those two pranksters..." Casper sighed.

"Are they giving you trouble?" Ryan frowned and raised an eyebrow.

Casper sighed. "No not really it's just...anyone showing up is fresh meat for pranks and they seem to go straight for me."

"Swift ink to the foot will stop that." Cryptor grumbled, sitting down next to Casper.

Ryan sighed. "Don't let people bully you, yeah?" He turned to Kino. "Let's get out to that van. Casper, you can come visit us anytime."


	3. Chapter 10

**_Authors Notes: We're slowly getting these out. Sorry for the six month wait. Both me and Archer were majorly busy, or sick, or busy and sick. Whatever. _**

**_Please Read and Review_**

* * *

_Weight of the World_

_Chapter 10 _

_Run away_

Kino sat back in the van looking up through the sunroof. The calm tunes that came from the radio soothed him and the oranges and reds from the sunset seemed to blur outside the sunroof as they drove.

Being so close to the ocean felt nice.

He hadn't seen the ocean in some time, and seeing his Great Aunt Midnight again after about five years would be interesting.

The last time he had seen her was just after his mom…

He stopped that thought from passing through his head. Kino cleared his throat and opted to look out the window instead, resting his head in his hand.

"Kino?" Ryder asked, though it was muffled.

He turned to look at Ryder.

"You okay?" Ryder looked up from having had his face pressed against Malt's fuzzy belly.

She kept licking his hair, trying to groom him as though he were her pup.

His hair stuck up in all sorts of places now.

"Yeah...just thinking of Pops." He ruffled Ryder's hair.

Malt nipped at Kino's hand. [All my hard work, ruined by you. I'll have to start all over again.] She licked Ryder's hair again.

A brief giggle erupted from Ryder.

Casper looked in the rear view mirror at them. "Where did the dragon even come from? I thought they were...well...a myth."

"You think dragons are myths?" Sorcha lifted her head from resting it on the seat. "...I mean, did you think Oni were too?"

Casper shook his head. "No I knew about you and Oru because mom told me, but I...well...I've never seen a dragon and mom never saw one either, so I just assumed there were dragons...but she couldn't ever say yes or no. But...wow...a dragon." He motioned to Malt.

[Lots of dragons hidden in this world...and the next...] She kept licking Ryders hair, smoothing it back the way he liked it.

Just like Dareth's.

"There are all kinds of dragons." Ryan shrugged. "Some are kind of like...Phantoms."

Casper gasped in surprise. "Phantoms?!" He smiled as he pulled onto a roadway that ran along the ocean. "Wow...now thats a view." He said, gesturing to the ocean.

Malt sat up to look at the ocean and then looked up at Kino.

[One of his past incarnations used to live on the ocean. Colby...is Zane and Danny's great great great grandfather.]

"Well when he says phantoms..." Sorcha shrugged. "He means more like...hard to explain. Energy beings that have sentience? Still dragons though." She looked over to the ocean. "Kinda miss going to the ocean."

Casper nodded, listening to Sorcha's explanation. "Aunt Mids' house is on the ocean so you can sit there and make sandcastles, surf, and even just sit in the water for a bit." He said as he looked around to make sure he pulled into the correct driveway. "I'm sure Uncle Cryptor called his sister to tell her that we're on our way. And other Uncle Echo is on that island over there. You can just make out his house."

"Right. Well, how much longer will it be until we get there?" Sorcha raised an eyebrow.

Casper turned to look at Sorcha. "Are you alright?" He asked, rather bewildered that Sorcha hadn't noticed them pulling into the driveway.

"Well she did have that fever earlier, maybe she's still a bit out of it?" Kino reached back, gently touching her forehead.

"But then again," Ryder began, "There's also the fact that she's part Oni...we probably wouldn't even know how to check for a fever."

Kino pulled his hand back from Sorcha and hummed.

Malt jumped into the seat with Sorcha and pressed her snout to her nose. She licked it and shook her head. [Nose isn't wet...we should get her some medication.]

"Oh that's-" Sorcha chuckled when Malt licked her nose. "That's okay. You can check my temperature like a human, I am still partially human after all. But I'm still just a little...eh." She waved her hand in a so-so manner. "Shifting so quickly and then changing back always made me a little sick. There's no medication for it, it just has to pass."

Casper chuckled as he looked over at his cousins and then to Sorcha. "Come on, we should go inside before they come out here wondering why we haven't come in. Aunt Mids doesn't like it when people stare. It's rude." He said as he got out of the car and walked up to the door, trying to straighten his shirt out at least a little.

The door opened and a hornet with bright purple wavy hair and teal eyes stared at them. The kimono she wore contoured to her body perfectly. She looked just like Danny otherwise save for the moon symbols on her cheeks. "Good evening. Won't you come in? Her voice was so much smoother than Danny's, too.

Ryan looked over Midnight and raised an eyebrow. "Wow, I can't believe I never knew you existed. How long have you been around?"

Sorcha rolled her eyes. "Probably longer than you've been alive, Ryan."

Midnight laughed. "I'm just slightly a few hours younger than your mother in law. We were meant to be twins." She said as she walked into the house, motioning to the two children sitting at the table doing homework. "Those two are my own twins. Their souls split as those two did." She motioned to Kino. "Jack." Motioning to a young boy with light purple hair, and a girl with bright purple hair like her mother. "And Jas."

They both looked up, spotting Casper. "Cassie!"

Jas jumped up and hugged him.

Jack however, groaned. "Jas...sit back down...it's your turn."

"Hm...group work...something I don't miss." Kino said, looking down at Ryder who refused to leave Malt's side.

Ryan shook his head. "Didn't know about this side of Danny's family. Then again, never knew too much about her in the first place."

Midnight nodded as she walked back behind a canvas. "Yes...we tend to keep to ourselves. She doesn't want us used again. Being Gaya's little soldiers wasn't the best of times. When I first met Zareth he was being tortured and Danny was being forced to watch her dig under and examine him. I got them out...but not before my sister was shot to pieces forcing Zareth to pull her processor like Zane did with Pixal." She ran the paint brush over the canvas. "So you see why she hid us."

"I understand." Sorcha spoke up instead of Ryan, who was sitting at the table helping the kids with their homework. "Sometimes hiding someone is the best thing you can do."

Midnight nodded. "Programming a nindroid is easy. You can just use a remote on them...I dare say the same had been used on Zareth once. I don't know if it'll work on a third generation...and I fear what would happen if one tried to do that to Kira, being as fragile as she is." Midnight said.

Kino's head snapped around when Midnight said that. "She isn't fragile! She's...well she's...just more human than Omino and Ryder."

"She's just...more squishy." Midnight poked Kino's chest.

Sorcha huffed and looked away from Midnight. "I know people say that, but I hear people say entire memories should be wiped from nindroids. It makes my skin crawl."

Midnight nodded "It happened to Danny a lot while she was younger." She stood up, walking into the kitchen to wash her hands. "Now...I know you all are here for a reason. I'm the white rabbit after all...I have promises to keep."

Ryan nodded. "Yeah, we came here for a reason." He looked to Sorcha who had suddenly fallen asleep. "You got some coffee for her?"

Midnight looked up at Ryan and smiled, standing up and walking over to Sorcha. "Poor thing has been through so much." She pulled a blanket down and over her. "I'll make her some." She offered, pulling a coffee machine out of the cabinet.

"Wow...your eyes look just like Casper's." Jack whispered so as not to disturb Sorcha. "I dunno...they look kinda pretty." Jas smiled.

"Who, me?" Ryan pointed at himself. "Ah, they're nothing special."

Jas giggled looking away as she pulled off her own sunglasses to show her stark highlighter yellow eyes. "I'd rather have those then mine. I get teased about it. Jack beats them up, but...they're...bright ya know. I get singled out because of them." She said "I know what the red means for you Ryan. Danny told me so...but they remind me of the dawn."

"Yours are because of something harmless." Ryan poked her nose. "And I'm glad you know." He watched her homework paper for a minute and grabbed a pencil, scribbling down a math system he used when he was in school. "There you go. And thanks for the compliment."

Midnight giggled as her daughter's mouth fell open as the math was quickly explained. "She's poetic." She told him. "Now what is it that you need?" She asked.

Kino stood up. "We invoke the white rabbit." He declared.

"I see...you need intricate and detailed information. What on?"

"Lunarians have been trying to get Ryder."

Midnight gasped, covering her hand with her mouth. "They are confused. They don't need the elemental master of stars...they need the person of the sun. A Solarian. There is only one left." She got up, walking to her desk and pulled open a filing cabinet. "Their realm fell some twenty years ago." She pulled out a file, holding it out to Kino.

Kino took the file from her and sat down next to Ryan. Opening the file, he wondered just what a Solarian looked like. Confusion crossed his face when he saw the picture. "Aunty Midnight...this is a picture of Ty. She's the green ninja."

Midnight nodded "Yes...she is."

"Ty? Swear I heard that name before." Ryan looked over the file. "Is she one of the ones who pulled us from the fire?"

Kino looked up and they split.

Omino watched his sister sink to the floor and sighed. "Yeah she's our leader. Since mom passed I've taken over as their earth ninja. But since I'm young, I'm still in training. But dad demanded that school come first. I agreed." He put his hand to his sister's forehead and shook his head. "She's got a fever."

Midnight gasped and shook her head. "You two need to rest. You can stay the night here. Watch the sun set, go sit in the surf. As I'm the master of the moon the Lunarian's will pass us by. Even though...so many of them might thwart my element with their own. Being the master of tides...they might cause tides to shift in their favor."

Ryan looked over at Midnight. "Do you think I could go sit in the waves for a while? Wanna do some thinking."

Midnight nodded, looking at her kids who were throwing their books back into their bags.

"We'll just...play with the kids." Jack said.

"Oh no you don't l! You have your room to clean..." Jas grabbed her brother's hand and walked toward the stairs.

Midnight sighed, watching her kids go up the stairs. "Kira, sweety...why don't you go sit down. I'll make some dinner." She said as she looked at Malt who was curled in front of the sliding glass door, with Ryder draped over her back. Her tail lazily swayed back and forth as she laid on the floor. [Duck.] She said, just before a duck flew overhead.

"While Ryan's outside I'll see if I can't get ahold of the Revenge." Casper said, taking out his phone.

"Just be careful Ryan. Tides in so the water is rougher." Midnight said, walking over to the stove.

"Ask..." Omino began, stopping when Ryder glared at him.

"What?" Ryder raised an eyebrow.

"Ask if she's seen gran." Omino frowned, looking down while he fidgeted with his fingers.

"Oh my sister? She's...gone home." Midnight said as she poured water into a pan.

Ryan carefully left the house and went to go sit in the water.

Sorcha sleepily opened her eyes and looked around the room. "How long was I out?"

Malt looked up from licking Kira's feverish head. [Close to five hours now. Or so I think...human's concept of time is...so strange. Why does one need to know the time when you should just do what needs to be done?]

"So you know what time those things need to be done." Ryder said as he ran his fingers over Malt's fur.

The smell of curry filled the air as Midnight began cooking dinner.


	4. Chapter 11

**_Authors Notes: Yay a chapter full of nothing but Next Gen ninja and Lloyd :D_**

**_Please Read and Review_**

**_Coming Soon: Zareth the Typo Boy movie: White Bird_**

* * *

**_Weight of the World_**

**_Chapter 11_**

**_Skies aren't Safe_**

Kyoya was headstrong, and completely insecure. The girl's hair looked just like her grandfather's, a dark brown color-almost red. Her purple eyes, as well as the element she wielded was that of her grandfather's.

But that was it.

She was actually very gentle, but scared at the same time. When she first began to use her element she would touch something and it would disintegrate. It still happens sometimes if she's in a horrible mood.

Like the wheel on the Revenge.

"What do you mean you panicked!" Max cried out, looking at the large steering wheel on the floor in pieces. "Oh, crap…" He ran over to the storage closet grabbing out tools and what looked like a broom. "We'll just have to make due. In the meantime better call the Bounty and tell them we're going to need back up." He told Kyoya who walked over to the com and tapped the open frequency.

"I broke the wheel!" She called out.

There were some snickers from the otherside.

"We were wondering why you stopped." Lloyd's voice called through. "It's alright, are the kids scared?" He asked.

Kyoya looked out the window at the children on the deck.

There were a hand full of people on the deck now, after they rescued them from the Lunarians.

"There's only two left and it seems Ty has taken a personal interest in one." She watched the boy swat Ty away from him.

"Oh? How so?" Lloyd asked his daughter as the Bounty came alongside them.

She laughed as Ty just shrugged her shoulders and took the sandwich back toward the Bounty.

The kid snatched it back and stuffed it in his mouth.

Ty just laughed.

"Yeah the kids...pretty headstrong."

Ty ran back into the wheelhouse with a big grin on her face. Her first act was to kiss Max's cheek and stand next to Kyoya. "His name is Luca. His parents died in the attack."

"Ah so that's why. Just making sure he's fed huh?" She said, watching the young boy offer the half of a sandwich to a very young girl. "Looks like he's at least doing the same to his sister." Ty shook her head and turned back to the scene and shook her head harder when he saw the girl plop down on deck and start eating the sandwich.

"Nope...not related. The boys got a soft spot for people in general. When I found him on the street he had the little girl on his shoulder and…" She made a squeaking noise. "Green...energy."

Kyoya's head snapped around so fast Ty thought she was slapped.

"What!?" Lloyds voice called over the com. "You're sure?" He asked.

"Of course I'm sure, dad. I have eyes, you know. It was unmistakable." She turned to look at the boy. "He's my heir."

"We'll have to take this slow Ty. He's probably traumatized after watching his parents die. But you know what that means don't you?" Lloyd told her.

She sat down at the controls. "Yes...I know. It means I'll only begin to lose my power like you did. But it doesn't mean I'm useless. I can still help as Master Wu did for everyone else. Besides...I'll still have m…"

"Hush…" Max growled out. "If they hear that somehow…" He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"I'm fine Max. We'll be fine." She told him. A soft smile spread over her face.

He just looked down at her. "Oh, how do you always make me feel better with just a smile?" He ran his fingers through her hair.

"I'm awesome." She winked at him. "Now if you don't mind Mr. Walker...we need that steering fixed or we're stuck in the water."

"Oh haha, punning me huh Mrs. Walker?" He chuckled.

"Guh! Both of you, get a room." Kyoya fake gagged.

* * *

Luna looked out of the kitchen watching all of the kids run from one side of the deck to the other.

Racing they said.

Her fingers tapped the counter.

The little boy threw a green ball into the air and it exploded like fireworks.

The kids clapped their hands and cried for him to do more.

He chuckled and did it again.

"How did you?" A girl asked him. "Teach me?" She asked him.

He shook his head. "Nope, I don't even know how I do it. Just did it cause I had to yesterday. Never did it before that. Lady said I must have found a reason. Full potential or some junk." He looked to be about 8 years old.

The little girl seem put down for a second until she saw someone run by with a balloon animal. She turned around to see Aoe making them for the kids. The little girl ran over and was gifted with a balloon giraffe. "So cute!" She giggled and ran over to the other kids.

Luna sat down next to the boy.

"That's Aoe, elemental master of 'hey get away from my stuff'" Luna giggled and looked back at the woman who was just about the same age as herself.

"Really?" The boy asked.

Luna shook her head and shrugged. "No. She's the elemental master of fire." She told him. "And has a temper to match too. But she's got a soft spot for kids."

"You do too?" He ventured.

Luna nodded her head. "After what happened to me, I try to be as kind as I can." She told the little boy. "Because there's no use in being mean."

"Can you make balloon animals?" Luca asked her.

Luna laughed. "No...but I can do this." She held out her hand and showed him a very small ice mouse. "Not much, but...it's me."

The boy chuckled and picked it up.

"Still better then some dumb old balloon animal."


	5. Chapter 12

**_Authors Notes: Yup there we go...another. However I can't write anymore till after I'm finished with the Zareth Movie or it'll be spoilery. Enjoy!_**

**_Please read and review_**

* * *

**_Weight of the world_**

**_Chapter 12_**

**_Pleasant Surprises_**

Omino looks around at his sister who is currently asleep where Sorcha had been napping a little while ago. He watches Ryan who is currently sitting by the ocean, out the window and sighs.

"Omi...are you alright?" Ryder asks, looking at himself in the reflection.

Midnight's twins look over their project before putting them into their book bags and going into their bedrooms.

"I'll be alright kiddo. I just feel...a pull."

"A pull?"

"Like we're missing something. I should be with the ninja."

"Oh yeah they said something about helping the people. But they'll be just fine Omi. They got the new recruits."

* * *

Ryan has been staring at the ocean for a while now. His mind is a mess, still trying to make sense of all this. Getting up and heading back inside, he sits down at the kitchen table and lays his head on it.

Midnight hears the click from the rice timer and brings the plates of curry over to the table. "Come on over, kids. You can eat a nice warm dinner before you go back out there. Who knows when your next one will be." She says, turning to look around at Ryan. "Take good care of them, Ryan." One of her eyes flashes white like moonlight before she turns and looks at her children.

They both nod and run for the sliding glass door.

"I'm afraid dinner...is canceled." She turns and looks at Hope.

"But...they have the wrong person. Perhaps if we simply tell them so, they will leave us alone?" Hope offers, though she knows that won't work.

"Take care of them...?" Ryan frowns and looks at Sorcha, who shrugged. He watches them run and turns to Midnight. "What's going on?"

Midnight shakes her head. "I do not mean for you to take care of my children. Mine are off to the nest, where my server is. I am sorry, but I doubt this body will survive this encounter. However, you all need to run. Omino. Put your sister in Casper's van. Hurry! You have 7 minutes until they are within striking distance."

"Midnight-" Ryan watches her, then turns to Sorcha who lifts Kira over her shoulder and helps Omino carry her to the van. Stuck in confusion for a minute, he finally snaps out of it and runs after Sorcha, getting in the van with everyone else.

"She's a hornet, Uncle Ryan. Same as Gran. But she's like...way better at it." Omino tells him as they reach the van and climb inside. "She was the first one."

Ryder yawns and climbs into the van beside Malt, who curls around Kira and continues to lick her forehead.

Casper climbs into the driver's seat. "All aboard!" He says as he turns to check on everyone and suddenly sees the large black beasts in the distance through the rear window of the van. "Whoa..."

"Casper, floor it! We don't have time to look at the scenery!" Sorcha belts out, surprising Ryan. "We got my suit, we got everyone else in here so let's drive!"

Ryan stops, turning to Casper. "She's right you know."

Casper laughs. "I've actually been waiting for someone to tell me to floor it...for like, ever." He roars with laughter that oddly sounds a lot like his mother, Danika.

A bright amber light can be seen on the other side of the house.

A large wave suddenly rises up and overtakes the house, splashing down and causing the van to be pushed along with it, farther, and faster than it could have gone on its own.

The van stops over near where the Revenge, Bounty, and its new sister ship had landed in the bay.

Ryan grunts as he smacks his head into Sorcha, who was in the seat in front of him.

"Didn't wear your seatbelt, did you?" Sorcha mocks.

"Shut it, beans for brains." Ryan groans and holds his head. "I feel like I got hit by a truck.

Casper groans as well from the impact and looks at the smoke coming from the hood. "No...you're right. We definitely hit a truck." He looks at the large neon lettering for Chen's Noodle House. "Ms. Smith is gonna be pissed...then her mom. Why don't they just call it Smith's Noodle House now. I mean, Skylor's name isn't Chen anymore."

Ryan hisses and shuts his eyes, opening them to focus on the hood of the car.

A little transparent orange bird was sitting on it, almost mockingly chirping with laughter.

Ryan grunts, eyes narrowing in annoyance. "Shut up, Jason-"

Sorcha raises an eyebrow. "Ryan, who are you talking to? There's no one there?" She sighs, choosing to focus on the safety of everyone involved in the accident. "Can everyone move?"

Omino looks up at them and then looks back down at his siblings. "Sorry..." He notices that his grip was a bit too strong, but he was scared.

"Dude!" The doors to the van open, revealing Max standing there. "Surfing now, huh Omino? In a van! Super freakin' awesome." He stops, turning to look at Casper in the driver's seat. "Oh hey there, Casper." Max waves.

Casper blushes and looks back down at his feet.

"Come on, lets get you out of here before your van catches fire." Max begins to help everyone out of the van.

Casper looks up at Ryan as Max leads the kids toward the Revenge. "I have a crush on his sister so bad." He sighs.

"Ohhh." Ryan chuckles. "It's okay, yknow?" He climbs out of the van and begins helping the others out. "Why don't you tell her?"

Casper makes a squeaking noise. "I uh...I um...have you seen her brother?! Plus, he's married to the green ninja! I'll never be better than that!"

"Your uncle married the earth ninja and he was just a bar keep." Omino pats Casper's back in reassurance. "Come on Cuz,...try."

Casper's knees begin to shake and he can't even get the next words to come out properly.

"I think we broke him." Ryder whispers.

Ryan rolls his eyes. "You don't have to be better than anyone. Hell, you think I was some big hotshot superstar when I met Inky? Hell no. I was far from it." He picks Ryder up and let Sorcha pick Malt up, her suit trailing behind on its own. "Is that everyone?"

Omino looks down at Kira who was laying on her side now and watching.

"Making an earthquake again little brother?" Kira asks, putting her head on her hand as her brother picks her up.

"No, but we were making waves." Omino grins.

[I smell chicken...] Malt sniffs the air. Her mouth begins to water as she watches a chicken walk by. She jumps from Sorcha's arms and chases the chicken into some bushes.

Large electric zaps spark from the bush, causing Malt to retreat with her tail between her legs.

Sorcha raises an eyebrow. "Huh. So Jay was telling the truth about that chicken." She shrugs and picks Malt up again. "We ready to-" She pauses, looking at Omino. "Where are we going again?"

Omino points to the ship. "Best place to hide. Where those things can't get us. The sky." He climbs the ladder and stops at the very top of the Revenge, bowing to Lloyd who smiled at them.

"Welcome." Lloyd says, looking over the amount of people that had climbed on board.

"Hey, Lloyd. I'm sorry but these creatures are coming after us and we've got nowhere else to hide." Omino sits down on a nearby crate.

"Oh no, they aren't just going after you. They've been going after all of the citizens of ninjago." Ty tells them as she comes out of the ship.

Sorcha and Ryan both stop when they see Lloyd.

They had heard stories about their verse's Lloyd, and had known him briefly as kids before he vanished.

Instead of bowing, they both climb up and hug Lloyd, squeezing him between the two of them.

Lloyd chuckles, being used to raising children and caring for others, so the hug doesn't bother him. He turns to look up at Ryan. "I have heard tales of you through Dareth, Ryan. I am grateful that you took such good care of our Inky and the children you two had." He sighs sadly. "However, it does sadden me to learn of their parting from this realm. We cannot dwell on the past. Danika's children are among us. A gift we will all cherish."

Sorcha cleared her throat, letting go of Lloyd. "Right. Ryan did a good job."

"They were loved." Ryan focuses on Lloyd and grins. "You're still as short as ever." Ryan rubs Lloyd's head, teasing him.

Lloyd looks over at Sorcha, raising an eyebrow. "You...are you the one Danika told me about? Ryan's sister? I'm afraid I've never officially met you." He holds out his hand.

"She's an Oni." Someone behind them says.

Ryder looks up to see that it was Mei who spoke, with Digital standing alongside her.

Sorcha shakes Lloyd's hand and smiles. "They're half right. I'm a half oni,half human-" She shakes her head. "I don't...really get out of the house, so it's no surprise you haven't met me."

Lloyd chuckles. "I've got Oni and dragon in me too. We don't know how much, though. We aren't sure who my grandmother is so it's all up in the air." He motions for everyone to follow him into the ship.

"Why are they attacking the people though?" Ryder asks.

"To bring me out of hiding." Ty says as she sits down at the table in the control room.

Ryan looks at Ty and frowns. "Kid, you know this isn't your fault right?" He looks to Sorcha who was looking at all the tech on the ship. "Everyone is going to keep you safe."

Ty looks at Ryder. "The FSM was literal in his elements. Well, from what I've heard about him. You're just the elemental of the stars, Ryder. Not the sun. No...I'm afraid they're literally looking for a species."

"What species?" Ryan frowns and raises an eyebrow. "I mean, it's not like Solarians are thing-"

Ty flinches and sighs. "Yeah, they kinda are a thing." She sits back against the wall. "Everyone on the ship knows the story. I'm from another verse. My father is the Lloyd from there and Tyrus...which is why I have the power." She shrugs. "Lloyd tried to hide the fact but after all the realms started to fall more frequently it didn't need to stay hidden."

"I uh, apologize for my brother." Sorcha says and pats Ty on the shoulder. "He's not very smart."

Ryan put his hand on his chest, offended. "Listen, just because I don't know about a lot, doesn't mean-" He pauses. "Yeah, maybe I'm a little dumb."

Hope looks at Ty. "They still come for us." She says, fear present in her voice. "We must protect the people." She looks around. "I guess our best bet right now is for me to…-"

A large explosion suddenly shakes the revenge.

Everyone runs outside and looks over the side of the ship as the Bounty begins to sink below the bay.

Lloyd looks around at the others. "How did they do that?"

"_It is night...shadows can fly."_ Someone in the shadows whispers to them.

Sorcha and Ryan both stop when they hear the whisper, trying to find the source of the sound.

"Show yourself." Ryan has a hand on his thigh, ready to pull a hidden sai from its holster.

There was a soft chuckle. "Well, I would have announced myself sooner, but that seemed important to talk about." Otto slowly came out of the shadows. He had on a pair of board shorts and that was all. "So...what else did I miss?"

Sorcha runs over and picks Otto up, giving him a harsh squeeze. "Ryan told me you died!"

Otto cringes from being squeezed. "Ah yeah, that kinda happens. I just gotta stand around 'til someone opens the door and apparently Aunt Midnight was killed, too." He gestured to the shadows behind him.

Midnight waves as she comes out of the shadows. She looked much brighter than she had at the beach house.

Sorcha carefully puts Otto down and turns to Midnight. "How's the beach house?"

Midnight laughs nervously. "Uh...let's just say I've got space to build a bigger house."

Otto picks up Ryder, who was crying. "Where are your brother and sister?" Otto frowns.

[Sleeping.] Malt motions to the door into the ship, where the two teens were currently.

"Thank you both for looking after them. I owe you so much." Otto looks at Sorcha and Ryan.

Ryan shakes his head. "You don't owe me anything, I don't mind looking after family."

Sorcha shrugs. "My job is looking after people. I could do it all day."

Malt croons and saunters over to Otto. [How I've missed you, big brother.] Her tail swishes back and forth.

"It's good to know they're safe." Otto pulls a book from his pockets and sits it down on a nearby crate. "Mom used to tell me fairy tales of the beasts in black that came from the moon and a temple where a dim light can be seen brighter. We need to go there."

"We have a destination!" Lloyd calls up to the cockpit of the ship.

Ryan raises an eyebrow. "Where is this temple?"

Otto looks at Ryan and laughs like his dad used to.

Nervous, and unsure.

"Good question. Mom wasn't specific. I can give you a general idea." He points. "Like mom did. I mean moms don't get too specific when telling kids fairy tales. I can just verbally tell you what you need to look for."

Ryan crosses his arms. "Like, is it on an Island?"

Otto stuffs his hands in his pockets and sighs. "Donno. So. Wanna go on an adventure with us...to save the realms?"

Sorcha turns and looks at Otto. "Before anyone answers that question, these creatures can rift hop, yeah?"

Ty looks at them and thinks about it. "Well that...uhm...we don't know." She says, looking at Sorcha. "We believe they're coming in from the Cloud kingdom."

"But that realm is lost." Otto says, frowning. "Inky said so."

"Yes, but what is left behind when a realm falls?" Lloyd asks.

Hope gasps. "Darkness...they're expanding their home in fallen realms." She blurts out.

Sorcha gave a nod, sighing. "Do you want me to keep an eye on where Ryan and I come from just in case?"

Otto smiles up at Sorcha and sighs. "We love you...you know that right?" He hugs her. "But it's not safe...even for someone as mighty as you. Stay near. Besides it looks like this generation might need a little help to take care of the children."

A kid runs by without any clothes on, and Aoe runs through after it while laughing and trying to catch the kid.

"I just...want to keep my realm safe." She shrugs when the kid runs by. "I understand me being safe, but I want my home safe as well. Besides. Ryan can take care of the kids." She raises an eyebrow and pokes his nose. "And you can too. Heck Otto, I'm 92. I got great grandkids of my own. Well, two. Maybe more?" Sorcha shakes her head. "I need to protect mine as well."

Otto nods. "Alright, if you feel you need to go, I can't hold you back. Even if I have more firepower than the samurai x mech in one arm. I won't stop you. I just wanted you to know you have us if you need to return...and we have lots of space for your grandkids." He says, watching Malt trot back over.

Malt was nudging the kid back toward their discarded clothing.

"What is up with kids at that age and running around naked?" Kira asks, rubbing her head.

"Oh uh...Pop?" Omino starts, seeming a little nervous.

Otto looks up at Omino. "Yes, son?"

"We went to see Aunt Midnight." He says, watching his father.

The look on Otto's face went from kind to incredibly angry. "You did _what_?!"


	6. Chapter 13

_**Authors Notes: Where is Hope you might ask? Sleeping. Poor girl.**_

_**Please read and review**_

* * *

_**Weight of the World**_

_**Chapter 13**_

_**Meatballs**_

Otto's wings were held over his head, outstretched as his stance shifted to a more threatening one. He walked over to Midnight, grabbing the front of her shirt as he yelled at her. "I'm not a kid this time, Midnight! What the hell did you do to my kids?!"

Midnight shook her head and waved her hands. "Oh stop it, you're a child to me. All of you are."

Otto let a growl slip from his lips, mouth twisting upward into a sneer as he shoved her backward while letting go of her shirt, watching her tumble onto the deck. "I'll be keeping an eye on you." He backed away from her and turned to Lloyd. "Don't trust her..." Sitting down on a box, he glared as his tail puffed up and waved back and forth rapidly, like an angry cat.

Ryan raises an eyebrow, clearly confused about Otto's reaction to seeing Midnight. "Now, why shouldn't we trust her? She saved us."

Kino leaned over to Ryan, his voice lowered so Otto wouldn't hear. "Because Midnight is a uh…" He tried to remember, brow furrowing in concentration. "Gemini type Hornet. Two programmed personalities. One is good...one isn't." She might have saved us, but why?" Kino watched as Casper shrunk away from Midnight.

"Ohhh." He shrugged. "I mean, I'm sure I can handle-" Ryan watched Casper shrink away. "What's up?"

Casper looked up at him. "Ink impressions..." He whispered, pointing to the ink his feet left behind.

Casper's footprints were shown walking away from Midnight.

"Elemental powers act differently than others across generations. Mines mostly a blast base, Ty's is a solid stream. Inky's could change the course of the future in a good or bad way, Danika's could create and mold into parts for the droids she fixed. It looks like Casper's knows things." Lloyd watched the footprints jump over the side of the ship.

"Or he's just a chicken." Midnight laughed.

Ryan stayed near Casper, placing an arm around his shoulders protectively. "Regardless, we should still be cautious."

Malt's tiny hummingbird-like growl told Ryder she didn't trust Midnight too much. She grabbed Ryder's jacket hood in her mouth and walked him toward the other side of the boat, sitting down next to Nya.

Casper peeked out from behind Ryan.

"It's okay, Casper. You'll be okay here." Aoi said, giving Casper a kind smile.

Casper practically melted, a slow grin spreading across his face when Aoi smiled at him.

Ryan watched the interaction between Casper and Aoi. "You must like her a lot, huh?"

Casper smiled as he watched Aoi pick up one of the toddlers as they walked to her. "She's...beautiful, kind, great with kids, smart, and..."

"Max! Get your butt over here. We got work to do." Aoi said, calling to Max

"She's assertive, unlike me." Casper sighed.

Ryan chuckled. "You should tell her."

Casper let out a surprised gasp and shook his head at the idea of telling Aoi how he felt. "N-No Grandpa, I can't do that. I'd..." His face turned red and he buried his face in his hands.

"I mean, tell her when you feel it's right." He shook his head. "But don't wait too long."

Casper chuckled nervously.

"Hey Aoi!" A boy with spiky red hair called down from the wheelhouse. "There's a storm coming in."

Casper turned to look at the clouds.

They looked dark, and almost ominous.

"I got it!" Aoi climbed up the mast.

"Wow..." Casper seemed entranced at Aoi's agility and strength as he watched her climb the mast freehanded.

"Dang...you had better tell her soon, Casper. I think Kinto likes her too." Max nudged Casper gently with his elbow, grinning.

Ryan nodded. "He's right you know The sooner the better."

Casper's eyes seemed to spark with determination, and he began running toward the mast, climbing up after Aoi.

Kinto watching Casper go up the mast. "Do you think he noticed?" He asked Max.

"Not a clue." Max said.

Kinto looked at Ryan. "Aoi is totally my cousin. Max just used me to give Casper a nudge in the right direction, y'know. The 'oh you don't want to lose your love interest to a rival' trope."

Ryan raises an eyebrow. "Casper must not know a lot about Aoi's family if he didn't know Kinto is her cousin. Least it gave him the fire he needed."

Max looked up at his sister Aoi up in the crow's nest while she talked to Casper.

Aoi looked a little bashful, a light blush present on her cheeks.

Casper leaned against the side of the banister as he talked, he seemed relaxed

No one could hear their conversation, but from the way it looked, it seemed to be going well.

"So who wants to hold bets to see if Casper succeeds in getting a date?" Max laughed.

Ryan rolled his eyes and went inside the wheelhouse to go check on the storm. "So, What's this storm you're talking about?"

Ty pointed at the monitor on the control panel, as the radar quietly beeped while it monitored the storm.. "It's...not as bad as I think...but it's gaining strength...like someones playing with it."

"Who would be playing with it? It's not like anyone on the ship is the master of water and lightning." Ryan seemed confused, looking at the monitor and then out the window to the storm.

Lloyd pointed at Nya who had her eyes on the mast with the cheesiest smile on her face.

"Yeah both masters of lightning are busy. I think the other master of water is betting on his sister." Nya giggled when she saw Aoi sit on a box next to Casper and watch the storm coming.

They all watched Aoi put her head on Casper's shoulder.

"So it's definitely not us. You don't suppose they have...some way?"

"There's no way of knowing sadly." Lloyd said as he looked at the picture of Master Wu over the door.

Ryan looked to Lloyd, frowning slightly. "Are you alright?"

Lloyd looked up at Ryan with a soft smile. "For now yes. I'm afraid...even I can't last long. I can't hope to live half as long as my father and Uncle did."

Ryan seemed confused. "Uh. When did this become about how long you have?"

Lloyd chuckled. "When you asked." He crossed his arms. "Are you...alright?" He turned to look back at the storm again.

"I didn't ask you how long you have, I asked if you were okay because you were looking at the picture of Master Wu. I thought you were sad that he's gone." Ryan shrugged, seeming a little sluggish. "I'm fine, just...worried about these aliens coming."

Lloyd looked puzzled, walking over and putting his hand on Ryan's forehead. "Are you well? Do you need to get some sleep? I know everything around you has been turned upside down and it didn't begin with the best. It's alright if you just got some rest. No one would fault you. As a matter of fact you should take Kino, and Ryder with you. Who knows how long you'll be able to have the chance."

"No, I just need some sleep. By myself." Ryan shook his head.

"Here Ryan. You can ha..." He knew what he was about to say...but just sighed. "Persephone's bed. No one is using it. No one has...in some time." Lloyd sighed looking up at Omino who was making faces at the kids.

Ty motioned for Ryan to follow her. "Lloyd's been getting weaker lately...Kyoyo says he refuses to drink the tea anymore. He wants to continue on naturally." She turned away and stepped aside after she opened the door. "Sorry. I shouldn't have said anything."

Ryan shrugged. "That's his choice, honestly."

Ty looked up at him and shook her head. "No ones trying to force it on him." She sighed, running her fingers over her arm. "You're a very cold person...you know that right?" Ty began walking back toward the wheelhouse.

Ryan ran up in front of her. "What did you mean by I'm cold? Have I been rude to anyone lately?" He frowned. "If this is about Lloyd telling me to take Kino or anyone with me to sleep, I don't like that. I like sleeping alone." He sighed. "These days I do, anyway."

Ty shook her head and looked up at Ryan with a soft smile. "No...you're cold." She took his hand in hers. "You're walking on two feet, but you aren't walking to the sound of your own heart anymore. You're running on automatic." She sighed. "When our verse's Deity would walk I could hear it like a song. You're the master of song from your realm, Ryan...but your song has begun to miss a beat. You told Father that you're alright...but are you really okay? I can sit down and listen...if you wish to speak."

Ryan sighed and rubbed his face. "I...am so sorry. I'm just...I'm very tired."

Ty gave him a soft smile and nodded. "Alright, but hey...if you ever need a neutral party to listen to your troubles. you know where I am."

Ryan shook his head. "It's just stuff from the past."

Ty jumped when she was suddenly picked up and spun around putting her down again as Casper ran into the ship.

"She said yes!" Casper ran by and shook Ryan's hand before beginning to run toward the exit door.

"Well...he's happy." Ty giggled.

"She said yes to what?" Ryan seemed concerned, grabbing Casper by his arm. "Slow your roll, boy. The heck did she say yes to?"

Casper smiled as his eyes turned a slight neon yellow. "A date. When all this is over. We don't know when so we didn't set a date or time yet. but she said yes...dinner, movie, and the ice rink." His smile brightened and a strand of white hair seemed to turn the same color as his eyes.

Ryan winced. "Uh. Make sure you bring a first aid kit. Inky and I went once and I scraped myself up pretty badly."

Casper laughed. "Yeah, probably so." He chuckled, running his fingers through his hair again as excitement buzzed in his chest.

The yellow in Casper's eyes and hair seemed to fade as worries set in.

"Why do you think the ice rink is a bad idea? Do you think we should figure someplace else? Oh...I wouldn't want her to hurt herself."

"I mean, ask her if she can skate first." Ryan shrugged.

Casper stopped and smiled. "Of course she does. She and I learned together. Uncle Zane taught us." The neon yellow flooded back into his eyes and hair as his worries dissipated.

"Aww, that's so sweet." Ryan chuckled.

The kitchen doors opened and Aoi looked into the hallway. "Casper...you coming to dinner? Dad's making spaghetti and meatballs."

Casper leaned over after she closed the door. "I think that's the only thing Jay knows how to cook...but he does it well. You coming or you gonna rest? This is going to be like a huge family reunion...but uh...I do have to warn you. Cole's alive...in this realm." He told him. "Just so you know, you might run into him."

Ryan shivered. He wasn't sure if it was fear or not. "He's...alive?"

Casper nodded. "I just...figured you'd want to know. He's just...no longer able to use his powers. It was passed to his daughter Persephone, and now its Omino's. He's their grandfather so more then likely he'll be around to see them."

"Conflicted feelings, seeing him again." Ryan remembered the fight he'd tried to assist his mother in, only to see Cole killed in front of him.

Casper sighed, running his fingers through his hair. "Get some sleep grandpa. I'll save you some dinner. I'm sure Kira will make sure the other two get some sleep. Omino has his own room on the other ship. they'll probably go there."

"You better save me a meatball!" Ryan playfully said, heading back to the bedrooms.

Casper chuckled and skipped happily into the dining area where there were lots of people. He looked up at Jay. "Ryan's gone to sleep. I'll save him some. Wonder how much he eats?" He pulled out a plate and started to load it down with noodles, sauce, and meatballs. "Do you think that's good? I mean he's tall...he needs to eat...a few more meatballs perhaps?"

"Don't strain yourself kiddo. If he's anything like Inky he'll eat what's put in front of him...without noticing what it is." Jay said, patting his head.

As if on cue and lured by the smell of food, an extremely groggy Ryan poked his head into the dining area. "Mmmmmeanbal." He made grabby hands at the plate Casper was holding.

Casper watched him and laughed. "Yes,Grandpa. Meatballs." He held up the plate.

The whole room was filled with many conversations as dinner went on.

Ryan rubbed his eyes and watched everyone, taking a plate and just sitting on the floor. Tired as he was, he missed his mouth with the first meatball which slid off the fork and rolled towards Malt.

Malt jumped up and chased it.

"Malt! Here she comes!" The kids cried out as they began to scatter with their plates and run from Malt as they giggled.

Ari held up her plate and her son.

Kai plucked his grandson from her arms and chuckled.

Ryan muffled an apology with a meatball in his mouth, half asleep.

Malt walked back over to Ryan with the meatball in her mouth as though it were a prize as she curled up and ate it.

"Give her more!" Max yelled at his dad.

Jay walked back over to Ty with more.

"Geez are most pregnant women like that? Always eat a lot?" Casper mused sitting down. "Arcadia was. She'd eat everything in the fridge." Casper chuckled watching Ty wolf down more.

"Hey! I will throw this meatball at you!" But Ty made no motion to do so. She just ate it.

Ryan paused. "Pregnant? Who's pregnant?"

Ty looked up and raised her hand. "It's why I'm not fighting. I've been advised to 'stay out of it' by my sister."

Kyoyo nodded. "Yup. I'll be the stand in green ninja for ya."

"Huh." Ryan watched Ty for a moment and nodded. "I mean, your sister is right, could be dangerous."

"Oh I'm not arguing. I know she can do it. It's just when people hear about...well..." Ty looked at her sister.

"Just because I'm...Lord Garmadons heir...people don't seem to want my help." Kyoyo frowned.

Ty nodded.

"I..." Kyoyo sighed.

"I wish they could see what I see." Ty told them. "I want them to know just how gentle she really is. Maybe...this will be a good opportunity for you, and them to see you for who you are. My big annoying sister, who babies, and coddles me...and wants what's best for ninjago."

Kyoyo giggled and bumped her adopted sister.

Ryan chuckled. "God you guys are great, this whole family is great-"

"Good evening everyone!" Cole said as he walked into the room, soaking wet from the storm. Hardly looked like he changed save for the small braid on the front side of his hair that had a golden clamp at the bottom.

"Hey ya gramps!" Omino took his grandfather's outstretched hand and their hands locked as they both squeezed as hard as they could.

So much for shy and repressed Omino.

Ryan nearly choked on his drink, seeing Cole burst in. The color left his face and he went silent.

Cole's eyes sparkled as he looked down at his grandkids, grabbing Otto and pulling him in too. His smile fell when he realized Ryan was in the room. He ran his fingers through his hair and sighed. "How's it goin kid?"

Ryan managed to stand up, watching Cole carefully. "It's...Alright, I guess?"

Cole chuckled. "You guess? Come on, kid. We all know I'm not your dad. I'm more like...a twin...I guess."

"He's trying to find a way to make his face not hurt you." A woman with bright white hair walked into the room and kissed Lloyd's cheek.

"When you're all ready...we'll get started on the plan." She grabbed a full plate and left the room.

"Arcadia...doesn't look happy." Nya said as she poured some tea and left.

Ryan watched Cole for a moment. "I know you're not. It's just..hard. It's been so long, but it's still hard to see you. Or any resemblance or my dad."

Cole nodded as he sat down at the table, pushing Ryder playfully.

Ryder giggled and hugged him tightly.

"I know it's hard. It doesn't get any easier, either." Cole sighed, stuffing a meatball into his mouth.

"Grandpa." Kira's tired voice quieted the room.

The room had cleared out a bit to show Kira over at another table eating. Her eyes were a little sunk in.

"Have you been taking your medication?" Cole jumped up from the table, going over and cupping Kira's face in his hands.

"I'm alright...just tired."

Ryan frowned as he watched Kira. "Why are you takin' meds? Are you okay?"

Kira sat back down after Cole let go of her face and sighed. "Omino and I are twins. But we split wrong. He's 75% machine while I'm 75% human. My human parts are rejecting the machine parts so I have to take medication to stop that from happening." She put her head on the table. "Being Kino helps...but I can't stay as him forever. It's taxing."

Ryan nodded. "Right, right...are you gonna be okay though?"

Kira opened her mouth to answer, but paused, not wanting to say anything in front of anyone. "No...in the long run there's nothing that can be done."

"I guess it's different than mom's arm and leg." Ryan thought, trying to finish his food. "She never had any medication for her stuff. Not that I know of, anyway."

Otto sat down at the table now after he came into the dining room. "Aunt Deity's parts were more like suggestions. While with Kira...it's internal. Liver, Kidneys, a lung, and her heart."

"An eye too!" Kira pointed to one of her eyes.

It began to glow blue like Zareth's.

Ryan watched Otto. "Getting your arm and leg and eye ripped off is a suggestion? Huh." He flung a meatball at him. "Maybe phrase that better, rootbeer boy." He was half attempting to start a food fight to change the subject.

Otto laughed. "I meant the false limbs themselves you floppy haired bean pole." He threw noodles at Ryan.

"Uh oh...here we go." Cole laughed holding up his plate as a shield.

Ryan whipped a noodle at Otto-only for it to land on Lloyd's face.

Lloyd's arms were crossed as he looked at Cole, trying to figure out who started this.

"Don't look at me!" Cole turned to look at Ryder, who was still eating.

Ryder ate like Dareth...a lot. Unbothered when he was hungry.

"Don't worry...Malt will eat it all." Omino said, pointing to Malt who was licking the floor. "Just watch out for the slobber...you'll be stuck."

Ryan chuckled. "Sorry about that, Lloyd."

Lloyd sighed, looking at them. "Well...we're at the Mirrors. If anyone can tell us anything that might help...it's them." He turned to walk out of the dining room, pausing. "If you go with them Ryan...be warned. You'll see things you really wish you couldn't. It's a way point...for the dead."

"The Mirrors?" Ryan frowned.


	7. Chapter 14

_**Authors Notes: I love a certain part in this fic and I'm sure its what everyone else was thinking**_

_**Please Read and Review**_

* * *

_**Weight of the World**_

_**Chapter 14**_

_**A God Needed That**_

Ryder took Ryan's hand as they walked with the others. "The way brother's walking...he's scared of this place."

Omino walked close to his sister Kira as she followed Lloyd. "The Mirrors are a place where we can speak to those of the past. It's a mirror into the Departed Realm."

"Scared? Why would-" Ryan stopped when he heard 'Departed Realm'. _"What?"_

Cole cleared his throat. "Yeah...it's what Arcadia does...she looks after the mirror. She's the gatekeeper."

"Gatekeeper of the dead?" Ryan seemed confused, watching Cole as they walked.

Cole shrugged, throwing his hands up. "Don't ask me. It's almost like asking me how there's an elemental master of the sun. What do they do with that power?" He chuckled and looked at Ty as she turned to him.

"They can't really do anything. Just...kinda exist." Ty was lying.

Cole knew.

"Hey.." Ryan was suddenly soft-spoken, voice quieted and laced with worry. "Would I see Inky here?"

Arcadia looked up after hearing Ryan's question. "Only if she wants to be seen. I cannot force those who are in The Beyond to step forward. It will be up to your wife to do so." She motioned to the mirror.

There were already some talking to their loved ones from the afterlife.

Wu just smiled at his nephew and spoke to Kyoya, loudly laughing at something she said.

Ryan carefully stepped up to the mirror, looking for his wife.

"You gave her a good life, Kid." Dareth said, standing on the other side of the smoky barrier of The Mirror. Leaning on one of Dareth's shoulders was Danika.

Julien held onto Dareth's back.

"But I got a lot of catching up to do. I missed their whole lives." Dareth sighed with a soft smile and ruffled the hair of his now deceased grandchildren's spirits.

Ryan nearly jumped as he saw Dareth. "You're here? And the kids..." He watched Danika and Julien. "I'm so sorry-" The mental image of his daughter dying in his arms earlier that week was still pretty fresh in his mind.

Dareth burst out laughing, wiping a tear from his eye in amusement. "What for?! You raised them up good. Respectable...Look what Danika did! She'd done so much good in her long life. Julien too!"

Casper was scared, to say the least as he hid behind Ryan.

More like full on shaking with fear.

"Casper? Come on out. It's okay to see your mom." Ryan looked behind him.

Casper shook his head. "Yeah but...ghosts..."

Danika opened up one sleepy eye. "Casper...ghosts are people too. Don't be rude."

Casper gasped and stood up straight. "Yes ma'am."

Ryan chuckled and lifted Casper over his shoulder briefly. "Talk to your Momma."

Dareth chuckled, leaning in to talk to Ryan as he smiled. "He's got a lot of both of his mom and Grandpa...and I see something else he has, that he's hiding."

Casper looked curious, trying to think about what his Great Grandpa Dareth could mean.

"Oh, the things...?" Danika asked, motioning to Casper's back. "Those are something he got from Cricket, but he can't use them like she can."

Casper turned to look at the extra arms on his back. "Momma Cricket...has gone into a coma...after hearing about you."

"Oh don't you worry, she'll jump back after a little while. Until then I'm sure you'll be cared for. I mean seriously Casper...you're smart. Be a good boy." Danika whispered.

"I...don't want to..." Casper bit his bottom lip, looking like he might cry.

"Oh hush now...stop it. You'll do fine without me." Danika smiled.

"Casper, I'm here for you too, you know." Ryan nodded and ruffled his hair.

Danika watched her son. "Come on kiddo...look at you. You got my dad, he's good. I mean I didn't die under his care. I may or may not have had to take care of him while he was sick once or twice when I was a kid. but thats..." She jumped when she felt arms around her.

"That's because you're a very loving girl."

The voice was familiar to Ryan, though it was strange to hear it after so long.

Inky smiled as she looked up at Ryan. "Hey, Skyscraper."

Ryan paused, slowly turning to Inky. His chest began to ache as he looked at her, his eyes beginning to water. His stoic facade began to break as he carefully put Casper down and moved over to stand in front of her. "Inky-"

Inky let out a soft sigh and smiled as she looked Ryan over. "Nice beard, Hot Rod."

Ryan sheepishly rubbed over his beard.

Inky just giggled. "I was told you might show up today. So I...asked a few people around...just in case you wanted to talk." She wasn't sure he wanted to talk to anyone, actually. She knew he was a bit private about his emotions and the subject of those who had passed.

Ryan watched her, a slow grin forming on his face. "So vibrant..but then again, you always were."

Inky blushed and turned away.

"Oh look." Dareth laughed "Still got it there, Ryan."

Julien looked up from sipping tea. "Father always had those moves. I must have got them from him."

Ryan chuckled. "Nah, I'm just a big dork with sweet words.

Inky giggled, trying to reach forward through The Mirror, only for her hand to be taken by Arcadia.

"Don't...unless you want him to join you permanently. I know the desire to hug him is great...but you must not...you will snatch his soul from his body."

Inky gasped, looking horrified with what she almost did.

Ryan looked...upset. "Inks I can't join you, yet. Probably not for a long time."

Inky took a deep breath to calm herself. "I figured that, Skyscraper. I'll hold down the fort here...you still have things to do...it looks like there's a big meeting over there and...there's a lot more people here than before. What's going on?"

"I...don't know. It's all a big mess." He sighed. "Otto should be able to explain."

Inky jumped, looking around. "Otto? He's here?" She spotted her brother with someone very familiar. "Looks like Persephone found them. Ryder's never met her before."

"Is that Persephone?" Ryan tried to get closer without crossing the barrier.

Inky smiled. "Yes, she's so soft spoken. She and Otto have been friends since he was three years old." She smiled. "It was almost like it was fate for them to fall in love."

"Hm. They seem to get along just fine." He nodded.

Casper smiled, watching Otto and Ryder talk to Persephone. "They act...just alike. Ryder looks just like Great Grandpa Dareth...but he sure acts like his mom."

"Yeah, yeah you're right Casper he does." He nodded.

Dareth looked up at Ryder and a huge smile spread across his face. "Is that my Gi?!" His voice bellowed so loudly Casper was pretty sure Wu heard it, and even cringed.

Ryder looked up at Dareth and the biggest smile spread across his face.

Dareth puffed out his chest and strode over there, looking proud.

"Uh oh...I think dad just found his biggest fan." Inky giggled.

Ryan chuckled. "He shouldn't be surprised, I mean, Dareth is a great guy."

Dareth looked at Otto with the biggest smile on his face. "How's your mom doing?"

Otto looked confused for a moment. "You mean she's not there? No...you mean she's..." Otto whined and ran a hand through his hair in a stressful manner. "She left...said she was going to go lay down with you. I expected that meant she was..." He took a deep breath.

Dareth shook his head. "It'll be...quite some time before her body and mind to destabilize and break down. She'll be here eventually boy. Give her time. Now look at you two...whose this?"

Kira watched Omino step behind Otto as she smiled. "I'm Kira, that's Omino, my twin brother..."

"My eldest." It was Otto's turn to puff out his chest in pride.

"Three!" Dareth barked out.

"Hey. Dareth." Ryan chuckled. "Technically, he's got four."

Dareth looked up at him and then pointed at Otto. "He's got four kids?!" He looked at Persephone.

She looked taken aback, as though assuming Otto had kids with someone else. "Whose...?"

Otto looked curiously at Dareth and shook his head. "N...No Hope isn't mine." He turned to look at the young girl who was talking to someone he couldn't recognize.

The boy Hope was talking to had black hair and a few clipped pieces of longer hair.

"She's technically Zareth's." Otto said, shrugging.

"Otto. You big dork." Ryan pointed between Omino and Kira. "Persephone died before she found out about Kino, right?" He didn't know too much about this side of Inky's family, so he was assuming.

Persephone shook her head. "Oh no no...I've known about Kino. Those two have been fusing since they were two years old. I'm the one who started calling him Kino in the first place."

"Then I would count him as your fourth kid." Ryan shook his head. "He's a whole other person, after all."

Kira nodded as she held out her hand to Omino and he just took it and pulled her in gently hugging her. Persephone smiled watching them hug before the fusion. Dareth chuckled. "Oh wow that's so much more gentle than Zane and I."

Ryan stopped. "I'm sorry, you fused with Zane?" He looked at Persephone.

Dareth looked up at Ryan. "Of course I did." He laughed.

Kino looked around a little afraid. He spotted Hope and took her hand before looking back around to see Persephone and his mouth dropped open. "Mom!"

"Oh that's my bad, I thought Persephone was talking about fusing with Zane." He shook his head. "Kino, relax-"

Dareth watched Kino and chuckled. "So...I suppose Kira's got the melding power now?" He looked at Persephone who nodded her head.

"I suppose so." She said looking up at Cole as he stood up just as tall as Ryan was, but more stout. "Hey old guy."

Cole chuckled. "Old!?"

"Oh come on Cole, we're both old." Ryan shrugged.

Cole laughed. "Yeah we're kids compared to Wu." He looked around as Wu chuckled.

"I wouldn't know, Wu died before I was born. He wasn't really a part of much of my parents' lives either." He shrugged.

Cole patted Ryan. "Your Wu perhaps. Our Wu died about six months ago. You can go talk to him. Apparently he's met a few others. Actually...There might be a few people in there that you're missing."

He held his hands up. "Nope. Don't wanna see anyone else. I need to stay mentally focused for the Lunarians."

Cole nodded. "Understandable. But you see your own family."

Inky was smiling down at Casper who was telling her about something as she giggled and sat down on a log.

"Looks like she's happy. You should be proud." Cole smiled.

"I am proud, but I do worry about her." He sighed.

Dareth looked up from chatting with Ryder, who was showing him the Gi he was wearing. "Worried about her? Whatever for?"

"I don't know." Ryan shrugged. "Like...her being alone. It'll be a long time before I'm dead."

Dareth chuckled. "I don't think you have noticed, Ryan. But...she's not alone. Don't forget. The first time she died Zareth and I held her. We never let her go. I'm still here, and if she's lonely...she's got us. We'll take care of her til you two are together again."

"Mm..." Ryan crosses his arms. "I know. I'm just worried for the future."

Inky stood up and walked over to Ryan. "You worry too much, Skyscraper. Except those Lunarians. They remind me of a movie we watched long ago. The shadow people." She giggled and looked around at Danika who nodded.

"Large shadows with bright colored eyes." Danika shivered.

"Hey, you were supposed to be asleep while that movie was on, Dani." Inky frowned. "So were you, Jules."

They both laughed.

Ryder watched Kira and Omino separate.

Kira sat down on the ground.

Dareth looked at them curiously. "Stress?"

Kira shook her head. "Tired...just tired." She felt her brother pick her up as if she were a feather. She laid her head on his shoulder.

"Dang. Should we go and get you some rest?" Ryan frowned. "Why are we here anyway?"

Omino frowned and looked at the long line of people talking to their loved ones. "Why? I figured that was apparent." He looked around at his mother. "Ryan...please understand that we all miss everyone...and while Lloyd and Wu have their meetings with the other old elemental masters...we like to visit as well. Sometimes during the spring we have picnics together."

"Oh no I understand missing someone." He nodded. "I just didn't know if this had to do with the attacks."

Persephone watched Cole walk back toward them. "Apparently the attacks happen once every two thousand years. Once again...something the First Spinjitzu Master threw at us to take care of for him."

Ryan sighed. "The First Spinjitzu Master should really take care of his own nonsense."

"I beg your pardon?" The man stood up and turned to look at Ryan.

Cole turned to look at the man clad in black and gold.

"Dad's right though. You kinda fucked up there sir." Danika said, stuffing her hands in her pockets.

"You heard me." Ryan crosses his arms. "Instead of actually dealing with the Overlord, you weakened him and split all of Ninjago in half, leaving it a future problem for whoever would inherit your abilities. And did you help your own son much when he was bitten by the devourer? No! You knew they both had oni and dragon in them, yet you didn't even attempt to find a way to get the venom out when Garmadon got bitten. You left Wu to task himself with trying to save the world from his brother, and then Lloyd from his own father. You leave vague ass maps and a dusty old mech-which granted, I hear the mech was a great help." He shook his head. "Listen. You should've done a lot more to assist from beyond the grave instead of poofing out of existence for eons until Lloyd almost died during the Oni invasion in Inky's verse. I don't remember if that happened in my verse."

The First Spinjitzu Master stood there, listening to Ryan. "I left it to them...because I knew it could be done. I knew what would come, I knew they could do it, in doing so they found each other. You can't stop what will, You can only help them along. Because of the fact that I could have taken Inky back to the Cloud Kingdom doesn't mean I should have. For if I had, she and you would never have met creating these two...they...saved so many nindroids, and humans alike over several different dimensions."

Inky looked at the First Spinjitzu Master, almost wanting to swat him.

"Just because I could've helped, doesn't mean I should Ryan."

"You were basically god. You expect me to believe you couldn't handle it yourself? That you couldn't help even the slightest until Lloyd almost died? JUST Lloyd? I remember hearing stories about the multiple times Zane got near beat to death, not to mention the countless times the ninja got fucked over. Do you know who got rid of the Overlord th time? ZANE. Not Lloyd, Zane is the one who cleaned up YOUR mess." Ryan crosses his arms again. "I don't believe in the nonsense of the Cloud Kingdom dictating my life, always writing what I'm gonna do. No offense to my wife, since she's from there, but I like believing I have free will. If I don't, then some guy in the Cloud Kingdom must really hate your ass to have me tear you down like this. You had the ability, yet you fucked off after death when I can clearly see you have the ability to intervene in the living world, otherwise Lloyd would've stayed dead. Bite me. Oh, and if you hurt my wife and kids, I'll make sure your ass is the first one I kick when I die." He threw his hands up and began walking back to the ship.

A loud slap echoed after Ryan left.

"That's for making my husband mad, you horrible man! And he's right! Everything he said is right!" Inky pushed her kids back toward where they had been before.

Dareth stood to his full height, towering above the First Spinjitzu Master, who was now holding his face.

Everyone else watched.

Persephone had her arms crossed as the First Spinjitzu Master turned to look at them. "Don't look at me. Ryan finally said what we were all thinking." She motioned for her own living family to follow Ryan. "Be good, and take care of each other." She stopped when she noticed Hope was looking at her.

Hope gave her a smile. "They said you were a very kind woman...I can see you are…" She waved as she ran back to the ship.

Persephone covered her cheeks, blushing slightly at Hope's compliment.

Ryan was fuming as he got on the ship, walking around the deck in a circle. "Fuckin'...dumbass...BRAD."

Otto walked up to Ryan with the biggest smile on his face. "Ryan! Dude you missed it. Inky slapped the spit right out of the First Spinjitzu Master's mouth!" He laughed as he sat back against the railing of the deck.

"She did? That's my wife!" He rubbed his face, stressed while still seeming proud of Inky. "Sorry, I'm a little heated from that."

Otto chuckled, picking up Ryder, who yawned. " Yeah, that guy burns my biscuits too." He looked up at the setting sun. "Lloyd looked amused too. But...it looks like we got what we came for. It seems there's a temple somewhere in Ninjago...where the sun gods live."

"Sun gods...really? Are you sure they're sun..._gods_?" Ty asked, glaring down at the misty wall that separated them from the Departed Realm. "They're no gods...just a bunch of people who lived around a man made sun." She crossed her arms.

Ryan watched the misty wall. "Hey...they can see us, right?"

Ty looked down at the wall, stuffing her hands in her pockets. "I suppose so. I've never gone down there. No parents...nothing the wall can show you. I've tried."

Otto patted Ty's back, trying to comfort her. "Yes they can...as long as they're looking."

Ryan nodded. "Good."

Otto turned to watch Omino carry his sister onto the ship, picking Ryder up in his other arm on the way.

Omino headed back into the ship, presumably headed to bed.

Otto's gaze moved down toward The Mirror's misty wall barrier. "She's reflecting on the walls, Ryan. She's flickering on both sides of The Mirror. Kira doesn't have much time left. Some days are better than others. Some days she can't even fuse."

"I know." Ryan sighed. "It's gonna be hard for Omino."

Otto took a breath, shutting his eyes and trying to combat the rising feeling of dread in his chest.

"Yes, it'll be hard on us all."

**End of Part 2**

**Part 3: Eternal Flame **


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